Easter in the United Kingdom

One of the most famous ways of starting Lent, and so the Easter celebrations, in the
U.K. is by holding Pancake races. In Minehead, for instances, the main street used to
be closed on the evening of Shrove Tuesday and lots of people took part in the races.
You ran down the road while tossing and trying not to drop your pancake!
On Mothering Sunday, which is always the Sunday in the middle of Lent in the U.K.,
special services are held in churches to thank God for Mums. Flowers such as Daffodils
and Primroses are often given to mums to say thank you for all the hard work they do!
It is also traditional that Mums get the day of house work and might even have
breakfast in bed! In old times, when a lot of people had servants, Mothers Day was
when maids and servant could go home and see their parents and especially Mothers.
A Simnel cake was traditionally made to take home to save the maid's mothers baking
for Mothers Day. Simnel cake is still eaten today on Mothers Day. Here's a recipe for
Simnel Cake.
People who go to Church on Palm Sunday often receive a small cross made of palm
leaves blessed by the priest or minister.
One very famous U.K. Easter tradition is the giving out of 'Maundy Money' by the
Queen on Maundy Thursday. Centuries ago it was tradition that the reigning King or
Queen would wash the feet of a few of poor people, the number of people being the
same as the monarch's age. This was to remember that Jesus washed his disciples’ feet
before the Last Supper.
Over the years the tradition has changed. Now the Queen, carrying a small pomander
or bouquet of sweet herbs, gives little purses of money to a few chosen men and
women. The coins are special little silver pennies and the purses are made of soft
leather and are closed with a drawstring. The ceremony is held at Westminster Abbey,
in London, every other year. In the years when it isn't held at Westminster Abbey, the
Queen distributes the Maundy Money at different cathedrals in the country.
In York, traditional Passion Plays are still performed for the public. The plays are often
performed in the Old English language they were first performed in during medieval
times. You can sometimes understand some words, but a lot of them are completely
unrecognisable!
A lot of Churches hold special Good Friday services. Sometimes the congregation is
lead to the church by a person or group of people carrying a large wooden cross. This
reminds them that Jesus died on a cross on Good Friday.
It is thought to be lucky if you plant your Parsley and Potatoes on Good Friday, the
parsley should be planted by a woman! But I don't think this makes much sense as the
date changes every year, so the crops might not grow as well!
Decorating Easter Eggs is a common tradition in the U.K., particularly in the North of
England, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Ireland. Decorated Eggs are sometimes called
'pace eggs' in these areas. The word pace comes from the word 'pasche' meaning
Passover.
The first person in the U.K. to receive an official Easter Egg was Henry VIII. The Egg was
sent by the Pope.
Lots of unusual sports happen at Easter time in the U.K.
A Bottle Kicking Match, between the villages of Hallaton and Medbourne, in
Leicestershire, take place on Easter Monday. The bottles are actually three small
barrels - two contain beer and one is empty. One of the full barrels is placed on
landmark called the Hare Pie Bank - and each team tries to get it down their own side
of the ridge and across the stream that rings the playing area. Whichever teams wins
gets the barrel - and the beer inside! Then game is then played with the empty barrel,
and the winners get the second barrel of ale!
Also on Easter Monday, lots of people take part in egg-rolling competitions. The rules
are often different from place to place. At Preston, in Lancashire, children roll coloured
hard-boiled eggs down the grass slopes in the local park. The winner is the person
whose egg is the first to the bottom that is unbroken. On the island of Harris, in
Scotland, you are supposed to get good luck for the rest of the year if your egg gets to
the bottom of the hill unbroken. In some places it's the egg that rolls the farthest that
is the winner.
Eggs and Chicks
Like Rabbits and Hares, Eggs & Chicks are often associated with Easter because, in
Pagan times, they were signs of Fertility and New Life. The Early Christians took over
the meaning of New Life because it helped them remember the Resurrection and
having New Life through Jesus.

Eggs were used by the ancient Persians and Egyptians to celebrate New Year, which
happened for them in spring time. The eggs were coloured and eaten during the
celebrations. In Europe, coloured eggs were used to celebrate Easter as house
decorations. In Eastern European countries, such as Hungary and Romania, wooden
eggs are beautifully painted in lots of different patterns. The patterns often have
special names and meanings and help to tell the Easter Story.
In Russia, during the early years of the 20th century, the former Royal rulers Czar
Alexander III and Czar Nicholas II had some very special Easter Eggs made for them by
the jeweller Carl Fabergé.

The first egg was a gift from Alexander III to his wife, was made of gold and white
enamel. Inside the egg was a golden yolk containing a golden hen with ruby eyes.
Inside the hen was a tiny golden crown. It was so beautiful that the Czar (meaning
King) said that every Easter, Fabergé should make the Czarina (or Queen) a special egg.
The design of the egg was left up to Fabergé, but each egg had to have a surprise in it.
One amazing egg celebrated the opening of the Trans-Siberian railway. It was made of
solid silver, with a map of the train route on it. The stations were marked with precious
Jewels, and inside was a gold clockwork train! Fabergé made eggs for other members
of the Russian royal family, and occasionally for the Czar to present to other monarchs.
They are very precious, and are kept in royal collections and museums.
In some countries, egg hunts take place over Easter. Eggs are hidden around a house
or garden and children have to find them. Sometimes they are told that the eggs were
hidden by the Easter Hare or Bunny.
Egg rolling races are held all over the world on Easter Monday. Eggs are rolled down a
hill or slope and the first one to reach the bottom that hasn't broken is the winner.
There is also an egg-knocking game is played in lots of countries including France,
Germany, Norway and Syria. The game is played with hard boiled ones and is a bit like
the game of 'conkers'. The object of the game is to hit everyone else's egg and to keep
your own one unbroken. The last player with a whole egg is declared the winner.
Chocolate Eggs have replaced wooden ones now and are certainly a lot nicer to eat!

Bunnies, Rabbits and Lambs

Bunnies, Rabbits and Lambs are often associated with Easter because most babies of
the animals are born in Spring around Easter time.
In Pagan times, like Eggs, Rabbits and Hares were signs of Good Luck and New Life. The
Early Christians took over the meaning of New Life because it helped them remember
Jesus being raised from the dead and having New Life.
The Lamb is a symbol of Jesus in the Bible as He was called
'the Lamb of God'. This is because Lambs were and are still
used in the Jewish faith as a sacrifice for people's sins and
wrong doings. Christians believe that Jesus was killed and
sacrificed for everyone.
In many countries, Lamb is eaten as the main Easter Day
meal.
EASTER TONGUE TWISTERS
to tangle your tongue...
Can you say these ten times fast??!
1. Busy bunnies bring blue baskets.
2. Each Easter, Eddie eats eighty eggs.
3. Six peeping chicks cheeping cheerily.
4. Jogging jellybeans joke and giggle,
jogging jellybeans jump and jiggle.
5. Run, Red Rabbit, run!
LINKS

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/speak/the-great-egg-hunt

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/language-games/balloon-burst/spring

http://www.marks-english-school.com/games/mes-easter_01.html

http://www.whyeaster.com/

DE TODO

http://www.michellehenry.fr/easter.htm#hist

RELIGIOSO

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/re/b-dag/ngfl-container/re-unit2-en.html